Disco 2 7 seater to 5

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Matt2e0fgx

Active Member
Posts
182
Location
Swindon
I will be building a box unit in rear and have no rear seats in or belts how do I legally convert this to a 5 seater ?

Insurance as a 5 seater yes but what about dvla ?
 
Converting a seven seater to a five seater is easy, just take the back two seats out. If there are wires or anything underneath, and I have no idea about this, it would probably be best to disconnect the batt first, then disconnect them, tape them over or whatever and then put the ends somewhere safe, but I don't think the last row of seats have SRS. (Maybe heated? Doubt it) I know the second row don't. . As you'll see from what I put below.
On the V5c , section 7, subsection 25, "No. of seats inc. driver". Change it to "5" then send it off, (photocopy or scan it first, one copy with no change, another with the change.)
Once that is done, and you get the new V5c back, you can insure it as a 5 seater.
It will pass MOT no problem.
I frequently remove the second row of seats of my 5 seater to make it into a bigger load carrier and it has passed its last three MOTs like that.
I haven't changed it on the V5c as it is not a permanent change, they go back in for half the year.
Best of luck.
 
I haven’t seen any laws on building a box in the rear of any vehicle unless possibly it was a new vehicle and that will be under the vehicle construction.
So just get on and do it, how u do it is up to you, a bit like adding shelves in a van or a safe box in a pickup or turning a LR into a camper.

So what about the DVLA ? If you vehicle V5C log book states its a seven seater (my disco doesn’t but a newer car does) then ask them if there’s a need for the information to state 5 seats, if they do ask them to do it. Simples.
 
(This is not the first thread on a similar topic on here, last time it was someone who wanted to put a row of seats IN!)

Here is the Gov.uk page that tells you how to change your V5c https://www.gov.uk/change-vehicle-details-registration-certificate
And here is the list of things you should read, before contacting the DVLA
https://www.gov.uk/contact-the-dvla/y/vehicle-registration-and-v5c-certificates-log-books
Most minor things don't need evidence or inspection. It will take, in normal times, 2 to 4 weeks to get the new V5c back, but they may well be slower at the mo due to Covid19. Or you could try ringing them, they may be willing to change it for you and simply send you a new one, they did this for me, IIRC, when I changed a Mini engine from 998 to 1275, but that was a few years ago and long before computerisation. But you may well be on hold for a long time, only to be told, "read the website, change the form and send it in!:rolleyes:

If the change is going to be temporary and one day you will change it back, maybe to sell it or summat, then you may want to consider what you do. It may not be a problem, you could just change the V5c back or you could just leave everything as it is, take the seats out and get on with it. But your talk of insurance makes me think you are looking at it as a permanent change.

Having run a kit car club for 15 years and dealt with registrations of all sorts of vehicles, then SVA and finally IVA, it is not totally obvious.
For instance converting to a camper is not a thing to take lightly!

Personally I wouldn't muck about, insurance companies can cut up rough and use any excuse they can point to in the paperwork. Properly
registered and properly MOTd, the insurance company will have nowhere to go in the case of a claim.

Best of luck! "Simples" it is not! (Unless maybe you are a Meerkat!)
 
And end up lost...theyre not answering any other enquiries other than the ones I mentioned...I sent an email and got an automated reply within an hour...
Truly dodgy.
Grandaughter was lucky to pass her test the other day. She's 17. Got her test cos she cleans a doctor's for pocket money. Seen as being an "essential worker" FFS!
 
Thanks all for your help , I was going to wait until all back in full swing.

I want to change it permanently as will be putting storage bins in . I do not have the seats and the belts are not there either .

I have done a camper conversion from a van and did not need a IVA test . That was 5 years ago .

Matt
 
Thanks all for your help , I was going to wait until all back in full swing.

I want to change it permanently as will be putting storage bins in . I do not have the seats and the belts are not there either .

I have done a camper conversion from a van and did not need a IVA test . That was 5 years ago .

Matt
Not all conversions do require an IVA, they are for really much more than that. Kit cars need them cos they don't usually use the same chassis or bodyshell as the donor vehicle, especially as few cars have a chassis now.
Anyway if you are changing it permanently you know your choices. Would be a ton easier if the DVLA were properly open.:rolleyes:
 
Not all conversions do require an IVA, they are for really much more than that. Kit cars need them cos they don't usually use the same chassis or bodyshell as the donor vehicle, especially as few cars have a chassis now.
Anyway if you are changing it permanently you know your choices. Would be a ton easier if the DVLA were properly open.:rolleyes:
 
All good things comes to those who weight ;) then of course when any insurance looks up my vehicle it should come up as a 5 seats one e changed with dvla I guess ?
 
All good things comes to those who weight ;) then of course when any insurance looks up my vehicle it should come up as a 5 seats one e changed with dvla I guess ?
Short answer, yes.
And at the mo, I'd send them copies of the copies you made, to prove you have sent the form off, especially if you have got proof of posting. They will know the problems the DVLA are currently having.

The DVLA and the govt allow modifications to vehicles but they filter them through the DVLA to ensure no one does something stupid. They do this by accepting certain types of change such as numbers of seats, more or less just on the filling in of the form, the more serious the change the more you have to do to get the V5c changed. All this is obvs from the Gov.uk site. Really drastic changes or scratch built cars have to go through IVA, such as kit cars, and this is cumbersome, expensive and not at all obvious, but it can all be done.
Once you have made your change,both to the vehicle and the V5c, you can tell the insurance company, they will not really be bothered if you have told the DVLA although they might remind you to do it if you haven't already.
For their own purposes they might require photographs, but extremely unlikely for just putting seats in or taking them out.
To inform you, when insuring a kit car that is a well known one, they often ask for 6 photos: front, back, two sides, engine and interior. One offs and whacky things will need to go through IVA and after that the insurance company will know they are safe and roadworthy, then they will work out premiums based on all sorts of stuff, but mainly "Is the insured the bloke who built it?" cos if he is, he won't want to wrap it round a tree. Power to weight ratio will give them torque, top speed and acceleration. They will also want to take into account rebuild costs so will want to know the costs of all the parts, and you can insure it much easier if you say you would be prepared to repair or rebuild it yourself, if they pay for the parts.
But I digress!:):):)
 
Thanks , that is helpful, I'm waiting on some parts to turn up before go to the dvla. The rear storage bins will be going in also will remove the headrests and the belts .
 
Thanks , that is helpful, I'm waiting on some parts to turn up before go to the dvla. The rear storage bins will be going in also will remove the headrests and the belts .
I also have a 5 seater with the storage bins. I love them to bits. Where did you get them from?
Mine came with the car and I immediately filled them with tools and spares. I also put a dogguard in and made a shelf outa two planks of thick ply about 3/4" which fit together and go over the tops of the bins, resting on them. Gives me more organisation in the back, two fold up plastic crates fit exactly underneath on top of one another so 4 go in with a bit of room to spare, as does my big cool box with enough room for ventilation. And I fill the space between the back seat and the rest of the boot by tilting the back of the seat forward. But then I have a 5 door.
If I broke down and had to get into the bins I would just shift a bit of stuff, open the bin and prop that end of the shelf on its open lid. Wish my D1s had 'em!!!
 
I also have a 5 seater with the storage bins. I love them to bits. Where did you get them from?
Mine came with the car and I immediately filled them with tools and spares. I also put a dogguard in and made a shelf outa two planks of thick ply about 3/4" which fit together and go over the tops of the bins, resting on them. Gives me more organisation in the back, two fold up plastic crates fit exactly underneath on top of one another so 4 go in with a bit of room to spare, as does my big cool box with enough room for ventilation. And I fill the space between the back seat and the rest of the boot by tilting the back of the seat forward. But then I have a 5 door.
If I broke down and had to get into the bins I would just shift a bit of stuff, open the bin and prop that end of the shelf on its open lid. Wish my D1s had 'em!!!


They haven't turned up yet , in the post on the way . Was off a LR Facebook selling page . Mine originally a 7 seater bug never came with the 2 seats in the rear .

This is why I thought I should really fit the bins and remove the headrests and change to a 5 seater .
 
They haven't turned up yet , in the post on the way . Was off a LR Facebook selling page . Mine originally a 7 seater bug never came with the 2 seats in the rear .

This is why I thought I should really fit the bins and remove the headrests and change to a 5 seater .
Dead right, hope they turn up, you won't regret it!
 
When I sold my 5 seater a couple of years ago and replaced it with a 7 seater my insurance premium went up by about 50%. My insurers said that with 7 seats I could kill more people in a crash and therefore their payout would be higher. So, I got a couple of storage bins from a breaker and converted the 7 seater to a 5. It's dead easy- just a nut and bolt job but make sure you get the plastic retaining rivets with the bins. I got the V5 amended to 5 seats, my insurance premium went back to where it should be and I've got a load more useful space in the back. Those rear seats are pretty heavy too so no point dragging them around if you don't need them.
 
When I sold my 5 seater a couple of years ago and replaced it with a 7 seater my insurance premium went up by about 50%. My insurers said that with 7 seats I could kill more people in a crash and therefore their payout would be higher. So, I got a couple of storage bins from a breaker and converted the 7 seater to a 5. It's dead easy- just a nut and bolt job but make sure you get the plastic retaining rivets with the bins. I got the V5 amended to 5 seats, my insurance premium went back to where it should be and I've got a load more useful space in the back. Those rear seats are pretty heavy too so no point dragging them around if you don't need them.
Nice one!
I got a big pack of mixed plastic rivets, clips etc from wish.com for not much money.
https://www.wish.com/search/clips/p...0da12704a8?source=search&position=7&share=web
Just in case anyone else needs this sort of thing. bought 2 as the postage was much the same!:):):)
(I had to take the carpet out of mine recently and thought I had lost a plastic rivet or two, managed not to but thought about all the flipping clips you need and had a good search.) This bunch do cheap tools too. Probably not very good quality but I got a set of tools to change the huge ball joints on the front of my Disco 2. They look exactly the same as ones sold elsewhere at LR specialists, but at less than half the price.
 
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